Vacuum feed for oil engines,



G. C. CLARK.

VACUUM FEED FUR 0|L ENGmEs.

APPLICATIUN HLED MAR. 3,19I9.

Patented July l5, 1919.

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G. C. CLARK.

VACUUM FEED Foa OIL ENGINES APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3. SIEL Patented July15, 1919.

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GEORGE C. CLARK, OF EVERETT, WASHINGTON.

VACUUM-FEED FOR OIL-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 1 5, 1919.

Application filed March 3, 1919. Serial No. 280,464.

To all 'nf/mm if may convo/'n lie it known that I, (inmune C. CLARK, acitizen ot the United States. and resident of the city of Everett,county of Snohomish, and State of Washington, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Vacuum-Feeds for OilEngines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to vacuum feed devices of the sort that are usedfor supplying gasolene to the engines of automobiles.

The object of my invention is to provide a device of this character,which will be sim ple in its` constructiony` thoroughly reliable in itsaction, and which will avoid Certain objections to the device which hasbeen in common use up to the present time.

The particular features of which this invention consists, will be seenfrom a study of the specification and the claims, in which latter theparticular points of novelty upon which patent is desired have beenpointed out.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention in the form whichI now prefer to make the same.

Figure l is a vertical section on a central plane of my invention.

F 2 is a similar view, showing the parts' in diti'erent positions.

Figs. 3 and at are horizontal sections taken through the suction pipeIand through the suction controlling valve.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the boss containing the valves andthe ports.

Fig. 6 is a Section taken through the top of the oil inlet chamber,showing the manner of mounting the valve-operating lever.

This invention relates to the type of mechanism for supplying oil to anoil engine which is generall)T referred to as the vacuum feed system.Broadly speaking, it consists in employing an oil inlet or suctionchamber and an oil discharge or feed chamber, the two being mounted atsuch a level that the oil will flow by gravity from the feed chamber tothe carbureter of the engine and also at a level which is above that otthe main storage tank. The force used for drawing the oil from thestorage tank to the vacuum feed device is the partial vacuum which isproduced by the engine cylinders when drawing in the charge.

One of the objects of my invention has been to provide a device whichhas no balanced or neutral position, but which will work positively,even if the device is mounted upon a support which is stationary.

In the drawings, 1 represents the exterior tank, this functioning` asthe oil delivery or feed tank, from which the oil is taken direct to thecarbureter of the engine. Within this is the oil inlet or suction tank2. The latter is of smaller capacity than the former. and forconvenience, has been pla-ced within and at the upper part of theformer. This arrangement is a convenient and desirable one, but is notessential for the correct operation of the device.

The oil inlet or suction tank, z, has an in let or supply pipe o whichleads to the main storage tank. This inlet pipe 3 is herein shown asextending downward through the delivery chamber 1 and as also serving asthe tubular seat for a cylindrical valve #t by which the tlow of oil toeach of the tanks is controlled. It is also provided with a check valve30, which prevents back tiow of oil to the main storage reservoir. Thedelivery tank l is provided with a pipe 31 leading to the carbureter.

The upper end of the inlet pipe 3 is provided, at a point preferablyjust below the bottom of the inner tank 2, with valve ports 3:2, throu hwhich the oil enters this delivery tank l. he valve t, as herein shown,consists of a short section of a tube. Thisy is connected with a tube 40of a smaller diameter which extends upward through the receiving orinlet tank 2, which tube is provided with ports 41 through which oil isdis charged into the inlet or receiving tank 2.

It is evident that, by a suitable movement of this valve, the oil may bedrawn through the tube 3 and discharged into the inlet or suction tank2, or discharged from the suction tank 2 into the delivery tank 1.

Injthe position shown in Fig. 1, if suction be applied to the tank 2,oil will be drawn into this tank. In the position shown in Fig. Q, withthe suction removed from the tank 2 oil will be discharged from thistank into the lower tank 1.

The valve 4 is connected with a pipe operated by a piston 5 which ismounted within a cylinder 50. As herein shown, this connection is adirect one. The piston rod 51 extends down into the upper end of thereceiving or suction chamber 2, and is connected with the upper end ofthe `tube 40. It may be desirable. for many reasons, that thisconnection be of such character that .slight iniuwurzufies` in therelative placing of the vulve rod und the pieton rod may beuei-onunoduted. l have shown such connection :is by u, pin .li-l. 'lhispiston ie thus con nerted with the vulve so us to move the seme.

The power for operating this piston 1s obtained by eonnerting the sume,us through u, pipe 52, with the sui-tion' manifold of tlhe engine, or in:my other .suituble wey, so that the siution eifert produced by theengine cylinders muy be exerted upon the piston 5. The pipe 52 connectswith a port 55 formed within the boss o3, in which bossis formed thecylinder chamber 50. VV'itJhin this boss is also formed u bore (j inwhich is mounted zi piston valve 60.

This valve hns two heuds connected by a stem or section of reduceddisuneter. The een-tml portion of the bore containing this vulve isConner-ted by Ineens of at port 5t) with the suction port' 5f. The pipe52 is at :ill times comici-ted with the engine so thttt the suction:iets thereon whenever the engine is ruiming.

Ports 61 und (L communicatie with the bore containing the vulve (5G,toward the ends thereof, their location being such tlitlt the movementof the valve will alternately' eS- tnblish communication betw'een' the*ports 61 und (i2 und between the suetion port', and with the outer uil'.The' 'ends of' they valve receivinr bore ere at ull times'in freeCoinmunicotion with the exterior Stir, und' in com sequence, then'iovenient of the Valve ulternntely forms u Connection with the eurtionund with the outer air.

One of these ports, as 61, communicates with the lower portion of the?Cylinder bore 50 and the other port 62 etimm'uniehtes With the upperportion. Prefererbly these are connected with the bore of' the cylinder"a, short distante from' the endl v'thereof:soteto provide e certainamount of ciisliiotirgae ytion for the' reeiproeion f 'tiiel pistoni Itis evident that the pieton 5; isthue enabled to act its a 'positreVforcei to'sht the valve 4. 'There is, however, ho direct connectionbetween thehoet wliieh 'is mounted' in the suction or receiving ehember, and the Valve'l. In otherw'ordls, the movement of the valste 4 isnot' etusd by float, but solely by the: power of the suction appliedthrough the action of thep'iston'.

The float 7, which is eo1`italined"in the suetion chamber 2, is :idatled to* vengage with flanges' 7() upon `the upp -rnd lovreehdsl'f a`Sleeve 711, Wuieh sleevejis meuneee'w'ltsufy slide* upon the' tube orstem ftlwltfieh connects the rtilve't With the piston '5. This relationof the Hbatand'its guide 'with the valve stent is merely one ofenfrenielieettd not because of any necessary physical Con'- neetionbetween" 'the two. Itis done" simply asl wcoi'iveniht ineens of guidingthe flfobt.

The upper end of the tube 7l, which lorins :t guide for the lout 7, isronneetod with :in arm 72, Whirh is shoit'n us formed ol' two partetetes-coping one within the other in order to :icrommodu'te the chungoin length which is produced by the swinging of this arm. lThis arm issecured to :i ehuil't 7? which extends through the side u'ull ol' :irecess 2l, which is formed in the @up 2U of the suction ehulnber 2.

lViUhin this recess 21 un. arm 7l; is Se- Cured to the shaft 73, and tothis urm is connected a rod 63 which is conneoted with the valve 60. Thevalve 60, which is the suction controlling Valve, is u smell valve whichmay be very easily moved, :is it is u piston vulve turd balanced. Thefloat 7, therefore, hue very little work to do to shift this vulve andwhen the valve has been shifted .so as to rhange the epplirution of thesurtion upon the piston 5, the piston will uct promptly to shift: theoil (V-ontroll'ing vulvetf. rIhere will, therefore, be no point :itwhich anything approaching the nature of a dead centrer will occur.Also, the Hoet, being relieved of4 the greater work of shiftiing the oilcontrolling valve, may be more thoroughly reliexl upon for doing thesmell amount of Work required of it.

To'assist in the prompt aetion of the vulve G0 when being shilted mid'to hold the suine positively in euch ol its adjusted positions untilproperly acted upon by the Hoet, l have provided iV roller 7 5, carriedby the outer end of the arm 74, und n spring bnr 76, Whirh has a.lnojeetion 77 located so as to engage the roller when in eeeh of itspositions, hutv respectively by oppositie sides thereof. This projectionis in the nature of a caim.

As thearm 74* is moved* to shift the valve it Will offer aeertainaniouht of resistance to the movement of the float but when theeetion of the Hoet hes beeomesuflieient to overconietlliisresisten'emitwill displace the spring a'rinun't'il it passes the* point of this earn.Ati this' pointthe' Hoet is relieved of the neeesbity `for the extraeffort and, in addition, the Sp'rih ants to'ttesist the float in movligthe va Ate. In eonsequence, the movement 'of tllle'valve "will be esharper movthent'jet et the' time When it is shift-- ing fromoneposition to the other. While the ieeo srsping ot this Sort will'possibly be found desirable, I'do not consider that it is reallynecessary as it will be foundE that the llbttyt'lillfprobably shift thesmell valve even Withoutiy 5assistiatnoe from such a.

spring.

The boselt, in 'which the tylinder 50 is formed, hesa port 8* formedtherein which,

at its upper end, communicates with the bore in which' the piston rod 51is placed and at its'lower end communicates with the suction chamber.

Htl

A port S0 extends horizontally from the exterior of thc boss 53 to anintersection with the bore which contains the piston rod 51 and has acontinuation at the opposite side continuing as the port 8l to thesuction chamber. This port is manifestly neutralized or blocked when thepiston rod is in proper position. The piston rod, however, has a groovel2 formed therein in position to match with the ports S0 and 81, andwith the port S and the main suction port 55.

ln the position of the piston shown in Fig. 5, the groove 4Q establishescommunication between the port 8 and the suction port 55. Inconsequence, the suction acts upon the chamber 2 and serves to reducethe pressure therein so that oil from the main storage tank will bedrawn through the tube 3 into said suction chamber Thilo this is beingdone the valve `1- is in the position shown in Fig. 1. the piston beingup. In this position also the suction is connected with the upper end ofthe cylinder 50 through the port (l2. while the port G1, which connectswith the lower end of the cylinder'. is in free communication with theouter air. At this time the small float controlled valve G0, which Ihave called the controlling valve, is in the position indicated in Fig.3.

ln this position of the parts the suction will cause a How of oil intothe upper chamber 2. This will cause the float 7 to rise un til itcontacts with the upper ange of the guiding sleeve T1. It will thenraise this sleeve. which causes the arm 72 to swing. This shifts thevalve G0 until it reaches the position shown in Fig. l, in whichposition they port GQ is in free communication with the outer air andthe port G1 is connected with the suction. This will adlnit atmosphericair to the upper end of the cylinder 5() and exhaust the air from thelower end thereof. thus causing the piston to be drawn downward.

This shifts the valve 4 into the position shown in Fig. 2, in which theports 32 have been opened and the oil is free to iow through the annularchamber 44 and the ports 32, into the lower chamber 1. As this proceedsthe float 7 will eventually strike the lower of the flanges 70 of thesleeve 71 and will. through its connection with the lever 7 shift thevalve 60 into the other position, or that shown in Fig. 3, whereupon theconnection of the atmospheric air and the suction with the cylinder 50is reversed, causing the piston 5 to be drawn upward.

By this device reliance is not placed upon the power exerted directlyupon the float in orderto remove the valve, but the float is only calledupon to remove a small valve which is balanced and moves very easily,and this valve controls the application of the suction power toa pistonwhich may be made of such size as to be capable of moving the oilcontrolling valve even if this should have considerable resistance.

The reliability and operation of the device is thus materiallyincreased. TheI reliability of the device is also increased by reason ofthe fact that the valves employed are of a positive type which are notlifted from their seat and, in consequence, their operation is notlikely to be disturbed by foreign matter which may get into the oil.

that l claim as my invention is:

1. A vacuum feed device comprising an upper intake or suction chamberand n lower feed chamber having a transfer port connecting them, a valvecontrolling said transfer port, a cylinder and a piston thereinconnected to actu-ate said transfer valve. a float in the intake chamberand means controlled by said lioat and operated indc pendently of saidpiston to apply air pressure to said piston to thereby operate thetransfer valve.

2. A vacuum feed device comprising an upper intake or suction chamberand a lower feed chamber having a transfer port connecting them and atransfer valve control ling said port, a cylinder and a piston thereinconnected to aetuate said transfer valve` a valve controlling theapplication of the engine suction to the cylinder, a ioat in the intakechamber and means for operating the suction valve by said float.

A device as in claim 2, having a port for connecting the interior ot'the intake chamber with the outside air and controlled by said piston.

Jr. A device as in claim .2 having u port connecting the intake chamberwith the suction pipe and intercepted by the piston rod, said rod havinga port. formed thereon adapted to connect the two parts of the otherport.

5. A device as in claim 2 having two ports communicating by one end withthe interior of the intake chamber and both intercepted by the pistonrod, one of said ports communicating by its other end with the outsideair and the other with the suction port, the piston rod having a porttherein adapted in different positions to connect the two parts of cachof said other two ports.

6. A vacuum liquid feeding device comprising an upper intake or suctionchamber and a lower feed chamber, a supply pipe eX- tending upwardlythrough the lower chambei to a connection with the upper chamber andhaving ports communicating with the lower chamber, a check valvepreventing back How in said supply pipe, a tubular valve slidable insaid pipe and controlling its ports, a cylinder having a piston therein,means connecting said piston with the valve in the supply pipe, a valvecontrolling the application of the suction to the said cylinder, a floatwithin the intake or suction Ell) vlmfmlml'` and melun; wlml'ebythofloat `:muy l|l`l Suhl `mvlion vontrolling valvol ai` AUlm top undbottom ol' tlm movl-munt 0l: Suid [10:11.

T. A (lovou zw in claim (l, lmvlnv :t Sltlevo loosuly Surrounding themoans wlllolh com mwis tlull piston mul the` transfer vulve, the Hozl`loosely slu'xoumllrlg Hai'd Sleeve; said slvove lmving stop` at' i101):1nd boltom on- LSUQQES gaglng Ulm Hmm, a Shaft mssing bluough Uhe' top'ofi tLlxc Vinhake` chum el', an arm cm'- ved by the outeu'emifnf @aidshwftfwnd' connnctksdfwiblvtk-e sucliin controlling vulve, undumunmuonnewd withfthefnmr und' of said shaft aanmchedlwith build sltzeve.

Signsd" ab Seattle, iWl{Lclllllgtmn,ly this 241th day' 'of' Febxuuvy,1919.

' GEMJIE C. CLARK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve onts each, by aclllreilsingther Gommi'sioner f Patents, W'ashingtony-D.- Cf

